Chaos Rising
by Echo6
Summary: Hyrule and the Twilight Realm are two sides of the same coin. So when darkness emerges in the Twilight Realm, Midna will discover that everything may not be well in the Light Realm. She will be called upon to save that which she thought was lost to her. Walls will crumble, swords will clash, and two souls will be reunited once again.
1. Chapter 1: Memories

_Hello everyone! Echo here with my first story to come out of pre-production. I decided to write a Twilight Princess fic because of a certain pairing being way to precious for me to even handle (and of course I mean Midlink :P). Yet, for better or worse, this story will not solely revolve around that pairing and more of the arising conflict (buuuuut maybe a couple of hints of midlink here and there, sorry!). Anyway, I do hope you enjoy this first chapter. Please read and review!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: Memories<strong>

It was early morning in the Twilight Realm. The twin Sols that hung in the atmosphere casted their serene light upon the Twilight Palace. Their artificial rays pierced through the clouds that listed in the air, coloring them with an orange hue.

Upon a balcony, high above the palace grounds, a lone figure stood with her hands clasped together near her chest. The figure was a female Twili of blue grey skin, with teal runes covering her arms and legs. She had deep orange hair which flowed down to her chest, and held together by a stone clasp. An adorned headpiece covered her forehead and down to the bridge of her nose. The Twili wore an exposing robe which barely covered her arms, while the rest of her upper body was visible. On her lower half she wore a detailed black sarong that generously revealed her right leg. Skin tight shadows clung to portions of her exposed areas and covered her left leg. The shadows obscured anything that would have been deemed to inappropriate for public. But what stood out the most of this Twili was her striking red eyes. Any Light Dweller who would have seen her might have claimed her eyes to be as beautiful as the setting sun.

The Twili stared out to the Sols situated high in the Twilight sky. After a moment, she let out a long sigh.

"It's been four months already, huh wolf boy?" she stated. The Twili could hardly believe that so much time has past since then. A journey with a Light Dweller, clad in green, and blessed by the goddesses. Both of them fought so hard to save both his realm and hers. The imp and the wolf, side by side. To her, it seemed like yesterday. She still fondly remembered the days spent fighting monsters and crawling dungeons. Or the nights when she'd lay her head next to his as they both stared up at the stars. She could even still recall his face with every perfect detail. Those piercing blue eyes that seemed to glow with both ferocity and kindness. The…

Just then, there was a knock on the door behind the Twili, shattering the image that was forming within her mind.

"Your Highness? The council is awaiting your arrival."

Midna, the Twilight Princess, turned to the door, eyebrows furrowing at having her thoughts interrupted.

"I'll be right there Avond." Midna said, a hint irritation in her voice. She was not happy. Why did those fools have to call a meeting today of all days? This day was too personal for Midna to be dragged into politics. After all, it was the anniversary of when she shattered the Twilight Mirror. On this day, four months ago, Midna had made the hardest decision of her life, and lost a dear friend because of it. She wanted to spend this day to herself, but apparently the council thought otherwise.

Gathering her composure, Midna made her way to the door and pulled it open more forcefully than she normally would. Standing in front of her was a male Twili of blue and grey skin, similar to hers. He wore black plated armor, gilded in a light teal, which covered his entire body. He wore no helmet upon his head. Midna could glimpse his void black eyes and blue grey hair tied back into a small ponytail. A vicious looking scar ran from under his right eye down to lower right cheek.

Green runes were engraved in the sides of the breastplate and leg-plate as well as the fingers of his right gauntlet. Five steel swords sheathed in dark brown leather scabbards hug from his back. The pommels of these swords were also engraved with similar runes as those on his right gauntlet.

Avond stared at Midna briefly as the door banged against the stone wall. He knew that the princess was extra sensitive today, but this seemed a little too much. Avond had thought that a day like today would have given joy to princess, being the anniversary of Zant's defeat, and the restoration of Twili people. Yet just like the last three months, Midna kept to herself and seemingly slipped into sadness. Avond wondered what Midna had left behind in the Light Realm that caused her to become so upset. The princess did relay the story of her adventures with Sacred Beast and their efforts to save both realms. Yet something told Avond that Midna had left some parts out.

Before Avond could even give Midna a salute, she briskly walked out into the hallway and right past him. Avond quickly fell in behind her, not wanting be left behind.

"So the councilors send the commander of my army to fetch me then? Are they so soft skinned that they cannot complete the task themselves?" Midna asked, her voice dripping in venom.

"Your highness, I wish you would not speak of the council so harshly. They sent me because the council felt that you would not listen to them, nor anyone else."

Midna quickly turned on her heel to face Avond, easily towering over him. The Twilight Princess was after all the tallest Twili in the realm. Avond himself was a modest five feet and ten inches in height, but that still could not measure up to Midna, who was six feet and four inches.

Midna glared down at Avond. "I distinctly remember telling you and the rest of the council that I wished to not be disturbed today." Midna said abruptly.

The Twili commander was taken aback to be spoken to so suddenly. He took a short breath and chose his next words carefully. "Forgive me for saying this, but the meeting is rather important. And you were notified about it earlier."

Midna's angered expression softened instantly as she felt a pang of regret for bursting out at Avond. He certainly did not deserve bearing her frustration.

"Yes I know, but that does not mean I have to like it." Midna muttered.

Midna turned back around and continued down the hallway, with Avond following closely behind her. She needed to bottle up her anger, at least till the end of the council meeting. If only Link was here...

No, she will not not think about him right now. It would only cause more pain.

The two of them made their way down a flight of stairs to the second level of the palace. As they passed through the halls, a number of Twili servants bowed their heads in respect before going about their business. The servants were still hard at work refurbishing the palace, even after four months. The damage caused by Zant's coup was still in slow recovery.

The rest of their walk continued in silence until they reached a set of large twilit tree doors. Midna rested her right hand on the door for a few moments before turning her head to Avond.

"You will be attending?" Midna asked, the question sounded more of a command.

"Of course your highness" Avond stated matter of factly. "I do believe the councilors wish for me to partake in today's discussion. I also happen to posses some information on the matter at hand. So as much as I want to leave and resume training my troops, my hands are tied." Avond let out a soft chuckle. "Not that you would let me bail out and leave you at the mercy of the councilors anyway."

For the first time today, Midna smirked. Well, at least she wasn't the only who thought they had more important things to do. "Let's get this over with then." she groaned.

Midna took a deep breath as she pushed to doors open. The two of them entered a large room with a long, rectangle twilit tree table situated in the middle. Around this table sat the councilors of the Twilight Realm. The councilors, eight in all, each represented the different provinces that encompassed the Twili Kingdom. They were a mix of both men and women, each were appointed by their own province's people. Midna personally felt that a few of the councilors were spineless windbags who only cared about their own interest, rather than their province's. Any craven given enough power will always desire more.

Each of the councilors rose from their seats as Midna entered the room, their eyes trained on her. Midna held up a hand in response. She waved her hand, motioning for them to sit back down.

Avond positioned himself by the door next to another Twili dressed in similar armor. He nodded to his fellow brother in arms before turning his attention back to the councilors.

As Midna moved towards her own seat at the head of the table, she noticed that the Twilight Archmage, Nychta, was present as well. To Midna, Nychta was a close friend. The two relatively grew up together, both of them studying the arts of Shadow Magic under the same master back when they were children.

Midna noted that if both Nychta and Avond were here, there must be something sinister was brewing. Usually the gathering of the three branches of the Twili government meant that entire Twilight Realm was in danger. Only one other meeting of similar circumstances had occurred, and that was four months ago.

Just then, a disgusting thought crept into Midna's mind. Zant was the previous archmage before the Twilight Invasion. Apparently for Zant, being the Twilight Archmage was not enough, and was only satisfied when the entire kingdom was under his control.

Zant had taken the advantage of calling an emergency council session to curse Midna, Avond, and the rest of the councilors. With the major political and military leaders out of the way, it did no take Zant long to bring the whole Twilight Realm under his control.

Not wanting to upset herself even further, Midna did her best to push the dark memories to the back of her mind. She let out a silent sigh as she sat down in her seat, retraining her focus on the councilors in front of her.

To Midna's right, Councilor Jorbus stood up from his place at the table. The councilor was a Twili of his late fifties, with long greying hair and a crooked nose. Jorbus was one of Midna's favorite councilors. The Twili was always willing to listen to reason and tended to put the well being of the kingdom before his own.

Jorbus gave a short cough as he cleared his throat. "Now that the princess is here, let this emergency meeting of the Twilight Council officially be in session." the councilor stated. He nodded his head to Midna.

"Princess. I know this day is...rather delicate for you," a couple of the other councilors rolled their eyes to which Midna ignored, "but recent events have called this emergency session into order."

"Very well. Would anyone like to enlighten me on the issue?" Midna asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Midna could here a few murmurs, which she could only assume to be covered responses of annoyance towards her remark.

Jorbus looked around the table to the rest of the councilors. They were all avoiding Midna's gaze, not wanting to be the one to bear the bad news. Jorbus sighed before clearing his throat once again.

"Well, your highness. It seems we have crucial issue within the Duskcrest province, out near the Burned Wood."

There was a slight pause, with not a word spoken.

Finally Midna folded her arms and glared at Jorbus. "Yes? What is it then?"

Jorbus felt a bead of sweat drip down the back of his neck. Why did it have to be him, out of all the councilors, to tell her this?

"Well, yes. The other councilors, Commander Avond and myself believe that an old enemy has reared its head once again. You see..."

Minda eyes widened as Jorbus' next words left his lips. A knot formed in in her chest, one of both pain and anger. How could this have happened?


	2. Chapter 2: As Time Goes By

_Hey all, Echo here. Ugh, this chapter took me way too long to complete, so much more than I would've liked to. I did not have any writer's block, you can simply blame college for my delay. With finals coming up, the workload has only increased. _

_After re-reading the first chapter, I realized that I failed to give descriptions to Nychta, oops. I'll be sure to give her more description going forward. Anyway, here is chapter two, sorry for the delay!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: As Time Goes By<strong>

_The Light Realm_

It was the time of twilight as Link gazed up to the sky with his ocean blue eyes from the sandstone podium which he stood upon. He was dressed in his usually attire. A green tunic with chain mail underneath, tan colored pants, and a long pointed hat that stretched down past his shoulder blades. The Master Sword was firmly secure on his back, housed within its dark blue leather sheath.

There was something very familiar about this place. Link glanced at his surroundings, instantly recognizing it as the heart of the Arbiter Grounds. The area resembled a coliseum. Weathered sandstone walls and seats were situated along the outside, surrounding a large oval shaped arena ground at its center. The arena floor was made up of pale tan sand and gravel, the same as the dunes of the Gerudo Desert.

Yet what threw of this image was the large obsidian block situated at backend of the arena ground. The obsidian itself was far from ordinary, for it glowed with white arcane magic. Twisting patterns of runes and markings, aglow with the white magic, were carved on the outer edges of the block. At the very center was what resembled a portal, with twisting rings that displayed an illusion of depth.

Link looked to his immediate right to see a female Hylian standing next to him, staring out to the obsidian slab. She was Princess Zelda, sovereign ruler of Hyrule. Zelda was dressed in her purple and white dress. It was ordained with jewels and patterns that ran down the lower center of her outfit, exemplifying her royal position. Long brunette hair flowed down her back, with two braids running down her front as well. Upon her head sat a golden circlet, with a light blue sapphire at the very center.

His first thought was why the princess was at the Arbiter Grounds. She should be at the palace ruling Hyrule instead of being in a place such as this. Zelda turned her head to Link and gazed at him with a smile. She then motioned her head to where she was looking before. Was there something she wanted Link to see?

Link turned his head forward to see...Midna...floating towards the obsidian. One hand was held out in front of her, the other softly covering her chest. She wore a pained smile on her lips. The corner of her left eye was wet from a departed tear. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Link, I..."

Link wanted to stop her from leaving. He tried to move his body, but he was rooted in place. His limbs wouldn't respond. Tried all he might, Link couldn't get his legs to move. He could only watch as Midna began to de-materialize from the bottom up. The particles quickly flowed into the portal, transporting her into the other realm. Her next words seemed just like a whisper.

"See you later."

Link's eyes opened as he woke up in his bed. There was a lump in his throat, making it hard to breathe or swallow. He slowly sat up, and rubbed his left eye with a hand, feeling moisture on his skin. He quickly rubbed his eye, wiping away the would be tear.

"That dream again, huh?" he muttered as he got out of his bed. Link was sure that he was done with those thoughts, that he moved on. It had been four months since she left, so Link shouldn't be having this dream. He remembered hearing somewhere that time healed all wounds.

_Whatever wiseman came up with that concept clearly had his head up in the clouds_. Link thought.

There was a soft thud as Link's bare feet touched the wooden floor of his home. It was a modest place, a single room inside of a hollowed out tree located on the outskirts of Ordon Village. The room was quite spacious, with all the necessary living expenses. A stone stove and hearth were located at the far end from the door, a wooden hanging just off to the right. Next to the hearth was a small wooden table just underneath a window, complete with two wooden chairs. On the left side of the door was a dresser which contained most of Link's clothing. On the right side the door was a small loft, giving the home a small second level. Up on the loft was a large cushion next to a window, with pictures of the children of Colin, Talo, Malo, Ilia and his horse, Epona. Link's bed was located at the third 'corner' of his house, just large enough for one person to sleep on, two if they didn't mind getting familiar with each other. At the foot of the bed was a trap door that led down into Link's 'basement, hollowed out area at the base of the trunk. There, Link kept a mirror and a chest of his most personal belongings.

Link glanced out a window as he slowly moved towards his dresser. It was still early morning, so most of the villagers would still be asleep. That would give him time to collect himself, get the goats out of the pen and into the field before the festival this afternoon.

_Yeah that's right. Ordon's harvest festival was today wasn't it?_ Link thought to himself.

Winter was approaching, and the final harvest was upon the village. Ordon annually celebrated the final harvest with traditional festivities and a giant feast. It was such spectacle that many citizens from around Hyrule would travel to Ordon just to partake in the revelry. And with the roads being safer than they have ever been in decades, Ordon was expecting a lot of visitors this year.

Mayor Bo had everyone in the village preparing for this day a week beforehand. He was hoping that this year's festival would outdo last years by a significant amount, and the villagers wished the same. Everyone had been preparing decorations, food, and other necessities with much fervor over the last seven days. Rusl, the village's only swordsman, doubled his patrols around Faron Woods, making sure the area was clear of any monsters. And even Fado was doing his damnedest to keep care of the goats, though the beasts still gave him too much trouble to handle alone. And that's where Link came in.

Before his quest to save Hyrule, Link was a goat herder. No, that's not right. Rather, he was a ranch hand to an incompetent goatherder. Not that Fado didn't love his job or try his hardest. The man simply needed help from time to time, and had a bad streak of accidentally letting goats out of the pen. So much so that most of the adults in the village had to know how to take down and immobilize a goat should one come charging into the village. Working the fields, patches, and orchards of Ordon meant that the villagers had the strenght to do it. Where the difficulty lied was having the courage to grab a stampeding goat by the horns and flipping it over onto its back.

Even without him for the months he spent stopping the Twilight Invasion, Ordon managed on its own once the Twilight Curtains were lifted.

Returning home from his quest to find the village the way he left it had been nostalgic and heartwarming. Especially so from the greeting he received. Being part of the Resistance group, Rusl had told the entire village of Link's exploits. And for his efforts he had received not only homecoming welcome, but also hero's welcome as well. It was only after three days when finally the feasting and drinking ended, the entire village to exhausted to continue.

Link smiled and huffed out a pleasant sigh as pulled open a drawer, grabbing his typical work clothes. It consisted a tan tunic with single green sleeve that covered his left arm, and tan pants. A yellow sash would keep a blue a sky blue cloth tied around his lower chest and waist. Weathered brown leather boots completed the set.

As he dressed, Link's thoughts trailed back the dream he had.

_Just what are up to now, Midna_. Link wondered. Was she and the Twilight Realm safe? Of course they were, that was a silly question. With the destruction of the Mirror and the death of Zant, there could no way Midna and her people could be threatened again.

Had she taken a lover? Link internally grimaced. For some reason, the thought of Midna being with another man romantically made his stomach churn. Maybe it had to do with the amount of time the two spent together. Of the deeply rooted bond that they shared from their quest to save both realms. Even then, he still did not understand why he felt this way. Perhaps he should ask Ilia later about it. She was good at reading and understanding emotions, and could help Link break through the fog of his feelings.

Not wishing to dwell on it any further, Link brought his attention back to the task at hand, getting dressed. He quickly slipped on the last of his clothes, making sure everything on him was secure and comfortable.

The soles of his boots padded against the dull wood floor as Link made his way over to the cupboard. It was going to be a long day with little time to eat until the actual feast. Food first, goats later, Link mused as set himself to make a hearty breakfast.

* * *

><p><em>The Twilight Realm<em>

"No. No. That can't be..."

"I am sorry your highness, but the reports we received of sightings from those in Emberstone village are accurate. Zant has returned."

The words from Jorbus's mouth were like a slap in the face. How could this have happened?

"Impossible!" Minda exclaimed. She was standing up from her chair, both hands firmly planted on the table in front of her. Her eyebrows were furrowed, anger written all over her face.

Everyone in the room was staring at her, slightly shocked. They knew the princess was quick to vex, but Midna's tone was full of a hatred they had never heard from her before.

"I blasted him apart with the Fused Shadows, there is no way he could have survived!"

Jorbus reached for a cloth inside his robe and began patting his forehead. Was it the heat from the room causing him to sweat, or the nervousness?

The other councilors themselves exchanged wary glances with one another. Just as Jorbus was about to respond to Midna, another voice cut through the room.

"Your highness." Avond declared. He took a step forward from his position at the door."We should not rule out the possibility that someone could have revived him."

_Someone revived him? _Midna thought. _What mad-twili could have revived such a person?_

As far as Midna knew, Zant had no supporters left. Sure, there were those that had sided with Zant when he first rose to power, but they had all changed sides fairly quickly. Spending a considerable amount of time as a cursed Shadow Beast saw to that.

Nychta nodded her head. "Princess, I agree with Commander Avond. From what you told us of the dark sorcery Zant and the Demon King Ganandorf possessed, it is not unlikely that there could be others with similar powers. Ones who can resurrect the dead and create portals to our realm." Nychta softly stated.

Midna sat back down, the gravity of the situation beginning to weigh in.

_So was the shattering of the Mirror all for naught?_ _Is this pain that I had to carry with me for the last four months now pointless? Does this mean that the Twilight Realm is going to be thrown into chaos again? _ Midna mused to herself.

The room was quiet as Midna was consumed by her thoughts. Not a single councilor spoke up. Nychta stared off into space with a contemplative look, a finger curling around a strand of her midnight black hair.

From his place at the door, Avond looked around the room. If nobody was going to break this deathly silence, it was going to have to be him. He gave a short grunt. The Twili in the room all stared at the commander save for Midna, who continued to blankly stare at the table in front of her.

"Your Highness?" Avond asked. Midna seemed to not hear him, for she continued her forward gaze.

"Your Highness?...Princess?...Midna?"

Midna immediately picked her head up, staring intently at Avond, her hands were tightly clenched together. He was shocked to see cold, murderous features on her face.

The air itself seemed to be alight with energy, as if her anger manifested in the room.

"Commander Avond..." Midna started coolly. Avond could hear the malice in her tone.

"Yes, your highness?" Avond responded, doing his best to hide the hesitation in his voice.

"I want your best troops ready to march by this afternoon. We are going to Emberstone."

A white haired councilor rose from his chair. His name was Torok, a Twili of his early forties. He was short for his race, standing just at five feet. While Torok deeply supported the previous king, he had always been skeptical of Midna. Before Zant's coup, Midna was impatient, selfish, and had too harsh tongue, qualities that any ruler should not posses. Torok harbored doubts of Midna being able to rule properly. Even after the Zant crisis was resolved, his doubts about Midna and her personality had not changed. This brash decision only supported his worry.

"Your highness, you can't just simply leave to go after this...remnant...of the past. Your duties are here in the Twilight Palace, not out on some man hunt. Even if you are the greatest sorceress in the Twilight Realm, Nychta and Avond are more than capable of solving this issue." Torok stated.

"This is not about who is capable and who isn't, Councilor Torok." Midna seethed.

Torok shook his head. "I understand if this is about past hatred for cursing you but…"

"This is not just about him cursing me!" Midna interrupted. "This man nearly brought our realm to the brink of destruction. I will not let him do that again!"

"But Princess, it is a three day ride to Embertsone. Without..."

"My decision is final, councilor."

Knowing that he would not win this argument, Torok sat down in silence, a look of annoyance on his face.

Midna looked around the room. "Anyone else have anything to say like Councilor Torok?" When no responses came, Midna continued. "Good. Avond, you may leave. Go get your men and the necessary supplies ready."

Avond saluted, placing a fist with his right hand over his heart. "As you say your highness." He stole a quick glance at Nychta as he moved towards the exit of the room. The large wooden doors creaked as the opened and closed behind Avond.

"Now then. Councilor Jorbus, I am going to be leaving you in charge of overseeing the realm while I am gone."

Jobus looked honestly shocked. He was the last person expecting to be given such a task. There just had to be someone better and more qualified than him to be trusted with the entirety of the kingdom.

"Me your highness?" Jorbus asked. "Surely someone like Nychta..."

Nychta shook her head with a smile. "I will be going with our Princess and esteemed commander. If you will have me, of course."

"Gladly Nya, it is always nice to know you have my back, unlike some other Twili." Midna responded, shooting an icy glare at Torok. She turned her head to Jorbus.

"So you see Councilor, there is no one else here qualified to take the position but you." This statement caused a few angered looks to be shot at Midna, to which she ignored.

With the cloth in his hand, Jorbus patted his forehead once again. "V-very well your highness. I'll begin my own preparations."

Midna stood up from her chair once more. "Then I call this meeting adjourned. You are all dismissed."

* * *

><p><em>An Unknown Location<em>

In a barely lit room, a lone figure in a black robe sat upon a crude stone throne. He stared at a crystal ball resting on a table on his right side. The image on the ball showed a room full of Twili sitting and standing around a large wooden table. Soft noises emanated from the ball, filling the dark room in a hum of sound as the Twili in the crystal ball exited the image. The figure leaned back from the ball and sat back in the throne chair.

"Amon. Whitney. We now move on to the next phase of our plan."

* * *

><p><em>Who is the mysterious man in the shadows!? What is Midna's plans to deal with Zant!? Why did Avond steal a glance a Nychta!? And will Link ever finish his breakfast in time for the goats!? Stay tuned to find out!<em>

(_If you are wondering how Nychta's nickname is pronounced it is (n-I-ah)._)


	3. Chapter 3: Preparations

_Hey readers, Echo here. I am so sorry for the delay on this chapter. A combination of food poisoning and finals prevented me from working on this chapter. But with winter break and an easy winter semester in the future, I hope to release chapters at a decent rate. So I re-read the first chapter and was unhappy with how tall I made Midna. I went back and adjusted her height to make her taller, (she is now 6 feet 4 inches.) She's gotta be tall after all, almost a heads worth over Link. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Preparations<strong>

_An Unknown Location_

Two figures walked down a barely lit cobblestone corridor. Torches hung on racks on the side, alight with orange flames that gave the corridor just enough light to see. It seemed as if the flames themselves were suppressed by a hidden, ever-present darkness.

One of the figures was a tall man, with a short black beard. A vicious scar ran across his forehead, and another under his chin. He wore a black robe adorned with human skull. Gems glowing with a purple hue were implanted within the eye sockets, making it seem that the skulls were alive by some perverted magic.

The other was a female of shorter stature, with short cut brunette hair. She was wearing a green robe and a hood that covered her head. Bones had been woven into the fabric of the robe, causing them to clatter as she walked. Two short swords hung at her waste in brown leather sheaths. The handles of the swords were wrapped in white cloth, and on the pommel, dark opals gleamed in the low-light

Both of them were silent for a while as they moved down the hallway. Finally the woman spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Can't believe he has me working with the blockhead, what is the Master thinking?" she grumbled.

"Watch your tongue. His will cannot be denied Whitney, you know that. You must do as he says, no matter how much you dislike it." the man replied with a scowl, keeping his attention forward. Whitney gave a side glance to him, her eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

"I know that Amon!" She spat, crossing her arms. "I am not about to go against the Master. Still, Stonecrusher is the worst. So thick headed and stubborn, not to mention a complete idiot! Argh!" Whitney brought her hands down to her sides in anger and stomped off ahead as curses and vexation spewed from her mouth.

Amon eye twitched involuntarily as he watched Whitney storm down the corridor. His thoughts trailed back to the meeting with his master shortly ago. Amon did share doubts the same as Whitney, but for different reasons. He was unsure if his part of the plan was the right move. It was risky and could backfire, putting the rest of the plan into jeopardy. Yet if Amon did succeed, well, then their enemies had little hope. Amon shook his head, suppressing his doubts. No matter his misgivings, he would execute his duty, all for the glory of the Master. RIght now, he needed to prepare. Amon brought his hands together, both palms touching each other as if he was in prayer. He uttered a line of unfamiliar words causing his robes whipping around him as if there was an intense wind. Not even a second later, Amon disappeared from thin air.

Whitney continued to march bitterly down the corridor, taking her first left when she reached an intersection. She still could not believe that she would be working directly alongside Stonecrusher. He was a loose canon, even more so than any normal Dark Nut. To top it off, he had no proper respect for her in Whitney's personal opinion. Ever since he joined the Master's outfit, it seemed like Stonecrusher had it out for her. Whitney had always been the one to lead the Master's ground forces, mustering the rabble into battle. Battle. It was glorious. The thrill of battle, the rush of adrenaline, the blood that was spilled from her and her enemies, co-mingling together in a pool of anger and desperation. Then Stonecrusher and his Dark Nuts came in and ruined it all!

Whitney, lost in her angered thoughts, failed to see the Dark Nut walking towards her. The Dark Nut was huge, nearly eight feet tall, dressed in dark plated armor. A full plate helmet covered his head. The helmet had a thin protrusion at the top, allowing an assortment of long dark feathers to form as a plume. He was carrying a large greatsword over his right shoulder. The sword's blade was a half a foot across and seven feet in length. It would have taken three normal men to simply lift the sword from the ground, yet the Dark Nut casually carried it with one hand. Strapped to his left wrist was a dark metal buckler. The buckler was small, and offered little in the way of protection, but protection was not what it was designed for. Instead, it would allow the Dark Nut to parry any weapon swung at him with a simple arm block or flick of his wrist.

Continuing at her pace, Whitney walked straight into the Dark Nut, her face smashing against the lower part of his chest plate. Fuck that hurt! Whitney took a few steps back, bringing her hand up to her nose. Bloody, great.

"Watch where you walking fool! I have a bloody nose now thanks to you!" she yelled, wiping her hand on the waist of her robes. She was going to have to clean it later.

The Dark Nut paused for a moment before looking down at Whitney.

"It is you who should be watching where they are going, little Whitney. Your fault, not mine." the Dark Nut said in a thick, deep voice. Whitney gazed upward, recognizing the voice of the Dark Nut in front of her. Of all the Dark Nuts she had to run into, it had to be him.

"Stonecrusher! Just leave me be!" she exclaimed in a raised voice. Whitney tried to move past Stonecrusher, but he blocked her from doing so.

"Why the rush little Whitney? The Master has requested our presence. Shouldn't you be going to him, same as I?"

"Amon and I already met with the Master. He's now waiting on you to get there." Whintey said as calmly as possible. She brought her right hand up to her forehead, forming a fist and placing it in between her eyes.

"Then I shall go to him now." Stonecrusher took a step to the side, leaving space for Whitney to pass.

"Yes! You do that. Now if you will excuse me." Whintey quickly walked past Stonecrusher and down the corridor, muttering under her breath. Stonecrusher gazed at Whintey as she left. After a few moments, he turned back towards his previous position and moved down the corridor as well. He shouldn't keep the Master waiting any longer

* * *

><p><em>Twilight Realm<em>

The Twilight Palace's front courtyard had been turned into a parade ground. A small squad of about twenty soldiers were all gathered together, their black and teal plate armor shining in the orange light of the twin Sols. Each of them were armed with an obsidian longsword and a variety of shields, mostly heater and kite shields. A handful of the troops had forgone shields and were equipped with obsidian greatswords and spears instead. Next to each of the soldiers was a Shadow Mount. These black and grey beasts somewhat resembled horses of the Light Realm. The differences were that the Shadow Mounts had pale white eyes, and were covered in teal runes similar to those of their masters. Their manes and tails were also ignited with shadows, giving the appearance of dark flames.

Near the doors of the palace was a covered wagon, filled with rations and essential supplies, with two Shadow Mounts harnessed at its front. Quartermaster Gurey was completing a final check on the supplies within the wagon. Gurey was a beast of a Twili with short cut grey-black hair and cobalt skin. He was well built from years of carrying and moving supplies while he was a drudge in the Twili Army. So it was no surprise that Gurey held the title of Champion Arm-Wrestler amongst the other Quartermasters and drudges.

The Quartermaster breathed a heavy sigh and wiped the sweat from his brow. He had spent the last hour gathering and sorting supplies with his drudges for this last minute mission. It was certainly not easy to gather the resources in such short notice, which his aching muscles knew all too well. Climbing up onto the wagon, Gurey carefully inspected each of the boxes, making sure that everything was accounted for. Hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, Gurey turned about to find Avond approaching him.

"Do we have everything we need Quartermaster?" Avond asked, looking from Gurey to the wagon and back. The Quartermaster gave Avond a smile and a nod, jumping down from the wagon to shake his superior's hand.

"Aye Commander, everything is in order. We've got enough supplies for the journey, plus extra, just in case," Gurey responded, a frown forming on his lips. "I have to say, am eager to get underway. All this waiting around is making me uneasy. And I am not the only one too. The troops seem a little restless as well." Gurey stated.

"Chalk it up to pre-battle anxiousness. We are hunting the man who twisted and cursed our people, after all." Avond said in a grim tone as he turned to the troops behind him. Gurey walked up next to Avond, placing a hand on the Commander's shoulder

"Aye. But the troops won't be too pleased if that slimy bastard gets away. Shade Company ain't one to simply let something like that slide." Gurey stated in a proud voice.

Avond nodded in acknowledgement. Shade Company, the most elite troops in the whole Twilight Army. Avond had personally hand picked each and every one of them based on their superb skills in combat. It was Shade Company that accompanied and guarded the Twili royalty, whether inside or outside of the palace. It was their duty to make sure that the royalty was safe. Of course we failed with Zant, Avond thought. It was their one blemish, their one mistake, the day they failed the princess they had sworn to protect. Now they had a chance to make up for that mistake. Failure was not going to happen a second time.

Gurey nudged Avond in the side with his elbow, bringing Avond out of his thoughts. Avond looked at Gurey quizzically, wondering what he might want.

"So, how are things going with the Archmage?" Gurey asked in a low voice, a shit-eating grin plastered his face. Avond made a short cough as he felt his face began to tingle.

"I have no idea what you are talking about Gurey." Avond said shakily, trying avoid the question. He was doing his best to keep a straight face on and not show any signs of nervousness. It was true that Avond had a thing for Nychta, but he tried best to hide it. Well, not well enough apparently. Keeping his feelings concealed was not out of embarrassment and certainly not because he was terrible with women. He had even been approached by many Twili before in the past, citizens and soldiers alike. Yet he turned them all down, not only because he had felt nothing for them in return, but on the principality of being professional. He was the commander of the Twilight Army after all. Love was not as important as the well being of the entirety of the Twili people in his book.

"Oh come on now, everyone in the company knows you have a thing for Nychta. It's the way you look at her when you're both in the same room. And don't say I don't know what I am talking about, I can tell. I have known you long enough to see when you get a glimmer in your eye for something you want." Gurey jokingly stated. Avond closed his eyes and sighed in irritation, pinching the brow of his nose. It wouldn't be Gurey to let something like this sit idle. If he was not arm-wrestling, he was gathering all the rumors he could. Apparently it paid to know secrets, and it was certainly paying off right now.

"Well now. This is certainly an interesting turn of events." came a feminine voice from behind them, followed by a short giggle. Both Avond and Gurey jumped, startled by the new arrival. Both Twili turned around slowly to find Midna standing right behind them, a sly smirk upon her face. Any color that might have been in Avond's pale blue skin drained away instantly as a deep feeling of dread welled up in his chest. The last person other he wanted to know about his crush other than Nychta, had just found out. Gurey knew this too very well, as deep laugh escaped his throat.

"Forgive me your highness, but how long have you been there." Gurey managed out between short laughs. Midna's continued to grin as she slowly walked past the two.

"Oh, just long enough to know that I'll have something to keep me entertained for the next few days." Midna stated in a mockingly sinister tone. Midna then turned around to face Avond and Gurey again. "Please carry on with the preparations, I do hope to leave sometime today."

"Y-yes your highness." Avond managed out between nervous stutters. Midna snickered back to Avond and Gurey before striding towards the front gate. Avond regained his composure cursed under his breath. This was not the way he wanted to start the day. "Gurey, is the wagon ready to move?" Avond asked in a stale tone.

"Aye Commander, she's ready to depart." Gurey responded. He walked back over to the wagon and climbed up on the front, giving the Shadow Mounts a quick pet as he passed. "Just give the orders and I'll be right behind you."

"Perfect. I am going to round up the troops. We are leaving now." Avond turned about to face the Twili soldiers in courtyard. It was time to get this operation underway.

"Twili! Attention!"

The Twili in the courtyard stopped whatever they were doing and quickly stood straight and saluted. They made a fist over there heart with their right hand and their left arm stiff at their sides. Each looked at Avond with blank faces, but their eyes betrayed their rigid look. In every one of them, Avond could see determination, ambition, and the will to see their mission succeed. Avond took a deep breath as he slowly paced to the center of the courtyard.

"You have already been briefed on the mission at hand, so I'll make this quick. You know who we are up against, so it is imperative that we succeed here today. Failure means our people, our realm, could very well be doomed. We will not let that happen." Avond paused for a moment as he scanned his soldiers. His eyes then fell on Nychta, who was looking directly at him with a smile. Avond quickly turned away, a light blush on his cheeks before continuing.

"But remember, this isn't just a mission to protect our realm. No, this is payback for what he did to us, all of us. Yes, he already fell to the Sacred Beast, who fought to restore us. But this time, he will fall by our hands. He will look into our eyes and know the true meaning of fear. He will pay for all the pain he has given us tenfold. Soldiers of the Twili, Shades, mount up! We move now!"

A roaring cheer came from the Twili. They raised the weapons into the twilight sky as they yelled for their prospective victory. They grabbed the reins of their Shadow Mounts, climbed on, and began filing out of the courtyard through the palace's front gate.

Avond sighed as he made his way over to his own Shadow Mount. Once up on the beast, he looked over to Nychta one last time. She was already on her Shadow Mount, and pacing the beast around a bit. She caught Avond's gaze and waved towards him before following the procession of soldiers out of the courtyard. Avond managed a smile and shook his head as he followed after her, to whatever awaited them in the Burned Wood.

* * *

><p><em>And that is Chapter 3! Midna knows of Avond's secret, who really are Whitney, Stonecrusher and Amon, and why wasn't there a Light Realm section in the chapter!? The questions keep piling on! I can at least answer the latter. I was debating including a Light Realm section in this chapter, but with how late this one was coming out, I decided against it (expect it in the next chapter though). I am also trying to see if I can make these chapters a bit longer. As a reader of FanFiction myself, I find short chapters less than ideal when reading. With that out of the way, I will see you all in the next chapter. Until then, you keep being you!<em>


End file.
